From Voluntary to Compulsory Population Exchange, Ethnic Tensions in Turkish-Greek Relations (1914-1923): A Case Study of İzmir

The aim of this study is to comparatively analyze the similarities and differences between the 1914 Voluntary Population Exchange Agreement and the 1923 Compulsory Population Exchange Agreement within the framework of the historical, political, and social dynamics underlying these processes. By exploring the roots of the ethnic crisis between Türkiye and Greece, the study focuses on the reasons that led the parties to implement population exchanges. It examines the issue in the context of developments such as the Aegean Islands Question, the invasion of Izmir, and the Turkish War of Independence. In this context, the study evaluates not only the diplomatic dimensions of the two population exchange agreements but also their impacts on local populations, the roles of international actors, and the consequences for ethnic communities. Adopting a holistic approach, the research aims to assess the lasting effects of these processes on Turkish-Greek relations and to understand the role of the exchanges in regional stability and nation-state building. This analysis provides a deep exploration of historical events while also offering a foundation for understanding the key turning points and fractures in Turkish-Greek relations that persist to the present day. The study aims to analyze the relevant processes from an Izmir-centered perspective. Izmir was not only a place where political and ethnic conflicts took place, but also held great significance as the setting where these processes escalated into war, the war came to an end, and a final resolution to the issue of population exchange was reached.